Cutthroat
by ZocoLP
Summary: The mind of a killer is a dangerous one, and no one can normally get in the killer's way, thus asking for their own death note. In special light to a small break, Katarina reveals a past behind herself and reveals the truth behind another. All blood aside, she couldn't restrain herself for any longer. It was not persuasion, it was choice. (Katarina X OC).
1. Foundation

**Happy Birthday Max! ... This is too long overdue. Anyways, here's another birthday story. Hope you all enjoy it.**

**Will go back and fix any grammar errors in the upcoming days.**

* * *

_[swoosh]_

The breeze sounded on this beautiful day in Noxus. Her hair briskly brushed right above her eyes, but like this sight was nothing new to her. She took this day on off from the Institute of War to revisit her home, though her visit wasn't met with cries of joy. No. In fact, she hadn't entered the city. She watched from above. On a cliff far away, she watched the day pass by over the great city of Noxus. It was like a goddess watching over her followers and giving them her blessings. She slimmed her eyes onto every aspect of the city and twitched her left eye at anything that she didn't recognize before. The giant mountain that contained Noxus' High Command stood tall in the center of the city, and around it the residence of Noxus persevered mightily.

"_What brought me away from you?"_ Katarina thought. Her life in the League was questionable. She fought for Noxus, yes. She gained her goal of bloodshed, yes. Many competitors feared her, yes. It seemed like everything, though the people she talked to weren't normally the ones where she'd be able to have an enjoyable conversation with. Something bothered her, though she had no idea what it was. Noxus may have been the cure. A wave of relief washed over her when she had seen the city once again.

Now that she thought about it, she didn't quite remember how she had ended up in the position she was in now. Maybe coincidence? Or choice? A kill meant everything to her, though it meant nothing within the League of Legends because no one was actually dying. She could kill someone, feel the glory, then see their face appear right before them and lose all of that glory. Well, it wasn't entirely a loss.

_[crack]_

The sound cut off her train of thought and she immediately swung herself around with her dagger in her hand. The woods in front of her were vacant when she had first arrived here, though not now. Someone was in front of her, though he had already receded himself from threat. He held his hands up at her, marking that he was unarmed. Katarina studied the boy for a little bit. He looked like the harmless traveler. He wore a tattered blue shirt and black jeans which was rather ridiculous for a meaningless hike for now, and wore a backpack.

"Woah now." He sounded.

"Shut it!" Katarina instantly silenced, and the boy's voice hit the back of his neck. She took one step closer to him, and the boy's facial expression didn't change from its normal one. "Why are you here?" She asked.

"I was actually coming up to this cliff myself." He said, lowering his hands. Katarina kept a careful eye on them just incase they were to reach for anything. "I didn't expect anyone to be up here, especially not you Sinister Blade." He said. Kat's staunch posture faltered at her title, and wondered mostly about the boy's sanity and if he wanted to commit suicide or not with his attitude. The boy showed little fear, a rare sight for someone who had just met her. Though this stranger had already ticked her off, that trait was admirable. Though she had these thoughts, she still held her blade up.

"Demacian?" She asked through her suspicions. The boy shook his head.

"Noxian." He claimed. Katarina raised an eye.

"You don't look like a Noxian." She protested.

"Well I don't really look like anything, do I?" He countered. It was true. He just looked like a commoner. Though she didn't have incentive to trust him, she didn't quite have another choice. It was either let him live now and possibly regret it later or kill him now and regret it later.

The boy was lucky that she was feeling lazy today.

He cringed his eye when he saw her blade move, but then relaxed when he realized that she just sheathed it. Unlike her, from his knowledge, she turned his back to him and grinded her back down a tree that overlooked Noxus.

"Don't call me that. Just call me Katarina." She said, and stopped her sentences. Her eyes left the boy and glossed out over Noxus again. The boy was both slightly relieved and slightly horrified, he couldn't quite decide which one. He took a step forward expecting another reaction out of her, but Katarina didn't do anything. He had his doubts, but as she had he trusted her judgement. He walked over to the cliff and leaned his back against another tree right next to the edge.

"May I ask you something?" The boy said awkwardly. Katarina looked over and it seemed that he was looking over the land just as she was.

"Go ahead." Katarina said.

"Why are you here?" He asked, not looking away from in front of him. Curious boy. He looked innocent enough though. Although Katarina knew from experience that no one is innocent.

"I don't know." She said in a slightly more cheery voice. She'd guess for herself that it was nice to have a conversation after such a quiet day. The boy made a quiet

_[hmph]_

sound that Katarina heard. Her look turned into a glare. The boy noticed it.

"I… just kind of find it funny. I can never explain why I come up here either." He said. His voice was quiet but stern; Katarina was just able to make it out. Katarina crossed her arms.

"You've got quite the nerve if you're able to come up and start a normal conversation with me so suddenly." Katarina smirked.

"Not nerve, nor courage really. I just know." He said, but didn't elaborate.

"What do you mean 'you know'?" Katarina asked.

"Your restrictions among the League." He said. "Many people tend to disregard or forget them when around other League champions. You aren't allowed to kill anyone outside of the League unless Noxus orders you to… I also know that you're quite… temperamental. So I'm trying my best to not aggravate you."

"You're doing a pretty bad job if you are right now." She said, as her temper was slightly rising at him using this advantage to get close to her. Though he did have a point. This kid was smart.

"I'm sorry, hehe." He said with a slight chuckle.

"What's your name?" Katarina asked. The boy turned his head and gave her a questioning look. "Your name!"

"Max." He said. Max raised his hands up, connected them together, and stretched his arms and legs outward, yawning in the process. Katarina watched him. From the side she could see new things. A small knife was sheathed by his belt. As his shirt raised she could see that he wore a second article of clothing underneath, though she couldn't quite tell what it was.

"So Max," Katarina said, now only this slightest suspicious, "what do you do?"

"What's it to you?" He said, continuing various actions whilst not looking at her. He leaned forward and took off his backpack, setting it to his side opposite of Katarina. Katarina, slightly ticked off about now having any power over this stranger, remained calm.

"I just want to know. Is that too much to ask?" She said. Max pulled out a small canteen of water from his backpack and took a gulp of it. He looked over to Katarina and handed the water out to her, though she was so far away. Her eyes rotated between him and the water, then finally decided to walk over. She stood up, now feeling extremely tall compared to the boy, and walked over. She grabbed the water, took a sip, handed it back to him, and sat down closer to him and the edge. She propped one knee up and rested her arm on top of it.

"I do a lot of things." He swayed in topic.

"Like what?" She kept pressuring, and as soon as she said that Max tensed up. He paused for a long time, and all the while Katarina felt the air tense between the two. She could already prove her theory here. This guy, though he looked it, wasn't innocent. He pondered by biting his lip, then turned to her. He inhaled noticeably to speak.

"I'm sorry. I just can't. I… let's just keep it at that I've done a lot of things in my past if you don't mind." Max said, leaving his words lingering in the air. He looked distressed just thinking about it, though Katarina couldn't quite tell what he was hiding from her. She looked at him questioningly, causing him to sigh and turn his body back. He crossed his arms immediately afterwards.

"Ok… we can keep it that way." Katarina said.

"I'll ask you to not think of me any differently because I didn't tell you." Max raised. "I'm only insecure of myself about these things."

"And you're insecure when telling me? What, do you think I'm going to rat you out to the League or something?"

"I would not want that, no." And he began thinking again, questioning himself. Meanwhile Katarina couldn't quite tell what she herself was feeling about him. He was acting weirdly now and it confused her. Although some part in her was laughing on the inside at causing the boy distress.

"Were you planning on going down anytime soon?" He asked, changing the subject. Katarina disliked it, but she let it change.

"I was." She responded. Max, abruptly, took placed his arms at his sides and pushed himself onto his two feet. He walked over and stood just on the edge of the cliff, anyone looking from below would believe that he was about to commit suicide. Instead he inhaled heavily and exhaled heavily, then turned around. He squatted down, picked up his bags, stuffing what he had outside inside of the bag. Standing up Max walked to the side of Katarina and, to her surprise, held out his hand.

Katarina glared at the kid who only responded be meeting her gaze and beckoned his head. She looked at the had. Young in faith with a developed youth to it, though its small creases indicated maturity following through. A little bit of dirt. But besides that, there was nothing else about it.

She ignored Max, rejecting his hands and standing up on her own like he did.

"Let's go then." Max said, cracking a small smile despite his failure and started walking into the forest. However he had to stop as Katarina grabbed onto the back of his bag at the last second, practically pulling him to the ground. He turned around and, noticeably, she had that signature smirk on her face. Creased upwards on the right side, smaller on the left, a sneer smile crossing her face.

"Wait a second." She said, and strutted over towards his left side. Before Max knew what was happening, he felt a tug on the left side of his waist, and then suddenly Katarina was holding his knife in her hand. "What are you running about with this little thing for?" She said with ease as she flipped the knife over and caught it by the blade without cutting herself.

"It's just a useful little tool in certain situations." He said. Katarina raised an eyebrow.

"'Certain' situations?" She said, and Max's lack of a response made her laugh. Without a second thought he took the blade by three fingers, walked over to the cliff, and threw it off. The metal glinted from the sun on the way down. It would've been unfortunate if there was someone right where it landed.

"Hey!" Max protested a bit too late. The knife was already gone. Before he could say anything else, Katarina turned around and held her hand up at him.

"You won't be needing that anymore." She said. With her raised hand she reached down to the back of her own belt and unlatched something off. She raised it in her hand and revealed to Max a dagger of her own. It was much bigger than the knife he already had, even though all he could see was the case as the rest was sheathed. She handed it out to him and he willingly accepted. Katarina watched as he pulled the dagger out, and laughed internally as his eyes lit up. It was clean cut and professionally made. Unlike the ordinary dagger, it was bent and curved where the blade tip actually was level with the top of the blade.

"A dagger specialized for throwing." He stated, and Katarina nodded. He took the blade in his hand, holding it up just above his forehead. Then he flipped it, taking hold of the blade portion with three fingers just as he had observed from Katarina, and observed it again. After a while, he looked at Katarina. "Why are you giving this to me?" He asked.

"Because you're mysterious. I don't care if I don't know what you do for a living, I just know that whatever you do, you can't defend yourself with that crappy thing." She said, gesturing her head towards the cliff again. Max looked at the dagger one final time before sheathing it and attaching it to his belt. While so, Katarina began walking ahead. No other words were exchanged, though Katarina knew from his smile that he was thankful.

It was odd, having someone walk right behind her in real life, in a secluded area, without sensing threat. She could hear the echo of her footsteps stepping on leaves and grass off of his own, as well as the air being cut through by the two walking down the hill. The sun lowered as they went on and eventually the sky turned into a beautiful sunset orange. Though it was hard to see through the canopy of trees, she could tell from the beams of orange light that fell through and touched the ground. The orange glow splattered a path for the two to walk along, and in the patches of area where there was no canopy above them they were walking on a light carpet.

The light became dimmer when they set foot outside of the forest and onto a smooth and stony walkway. Noxus wasn't far at all from here, and the fact that she was going to arrive there sooner with this guy made her nerve racked in the slightest degree. In an opposite way though, she felt glad. Katarina had no clue why, but for some reason she could talk to this certain individual without barfing two minutes into conversation, and then proceeding to make a fool of them. She took a moment and planted herself still, observing ahead of her. Noxus shined in the distance, it's grey and red architecture from afar still glimmering a mile from it. She could smile once at it, remembering home. Then she could grimace again at it, remembering all of the hardships it had put her through. It was a love-hate relationship, and she liked it that way.

During this time Max stepped up besides her and did the exact same thing. As soon as she noticed, she stopped and looked at him, and surprisingly he was lost in the same dazing state that she was in prior. His face was contemplating, his mind winding, and Katarina's mind still curious for him. She wondered about him and, again, it wasn't everyday she pondered the existence of seemingly good people. She nudged him on the shoulder, breaking his day, and beckoned him to continue onwards.

There was a never ending tensity between the two as they walked. None of them acknowledged it but they could both feel it. It felt as if there was a gravity in between the two that pulled them together, and they could especially feel this in their lungs as they were burning in need to say things to one another. Though the only words that came out of the two along the way were casual conversation, and it grieved their heads so.

Noxus finally dawned on the two as the sun lowered ever so slightly in the background. Like every majoring city, the large gates were open at this time of hour, with guards manning the entrance on all sides. The guards nodded to themselves and at Katarina as they passed through. Although, as she observed, they glared at Max as if they had recognized him from somewhere. Max had no reaction to this.

The streets were populated normally for the time and Katarina had a wave of nostalgia wash over her as she recalled memories in these places, smiling at the more so joyful ones, grimacing at the negative ones. Noxus, where everything grew for her and sprouted a new life. Max caught a glimpse of Katarina grimacing towards a nearby alleyway and silently chuckled. As her grimace didn't fade away quickly however, he began to worry. He poked Katarina on the arm, and in a comical fashion she jumped, startled of the touch breaking her out of her trance. She looked at Max like he was crazy.

"Are you ok?" He asked lightly. Still a bit shaken, Katarina could understand what he meant.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just… I can remember a lot of things that have happened here." She explained, her voice light and actually friendly as she smiled at another good memory.

"You're a lot kinder than people make you out to be." He said. Was it? Katarina couldn't quite notice it. She pondered the statement and, after everything that has happened today, she has been quite nice to the guy.

"Nah, you just caught me on a good day." She said, more or less seriously that she should've even though it was true. Max grinned, then Katarina looked at him. He looked at everything in monotone. "What about you?" She asked. "What part of Noxus did you come from?" It took Max a moment to respond, but when he did he slowly pointed to a store on the side of the street, a good ways ahead of them.

"I lived five streets down past there, then two blocks up." He said. Lived?

"Where do you live now?" Katarina asked. And, again, she could see him tense up. It seemed he tensed up when asked about anything personal; that may be the trigger. Though her face masked her disappointment when she realized this, it seemed that he was contemplating. Thinking of something to tell her, and whether it be a lie or not, to her it'd just be fun to get an answer out of the guy.

A shadow ripped the voice out right from under him. He opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything. One, because he had choked on his words, and two, a snitch had just bumped into him. He stumbled backwards one step from what seemed to be a shoulder on his side, and then suddenly he didn't feel a backpack on anymore. His back was now light, and Katarina caught a brief glimpse of the events as they were happening. They both looked over after they were happening and saw a stupid teenage scoundrel, dressed in all black and grey, running off believing that he had gotten away thieving his backpack into an alleyway between two buildings. No one else noticed the crime.

Instinctively, Max took off for the thief right away. Katarina, however, didn't quite have a reaction. Part of her thought it was comical, and then another part of her told her to help, though she strongly believed that he could handle this situation on his own. Another part of her was just relieved that she didn't have to feel Max's tension for longer than she had. She watched as the two ran down the alleyway, of which there wasn't a break until very far down. Without much else to do, she followed slowly behind them in a walk. The alleyway was clearly illuminated this time, so she could see all the way down it, though there wasn't really much to watch.

And then Max pulled a stunt that she would've never expected.

The thief shouldered a crate and a dumpster right after each other, stumbling him and allowing time for Max to catch up. However, after that there was no obstacles. What Katarina had observed actually made her proud. With no other option to catch up to the kid, Max reached down and pulled Katarina's dagger out from its sheath. Then he ran up the first crate, which was easy enough to run and jump upon, then levered himself up to the top of the dumpster. Flipping the blade over fast in his hand, he caught the knife by the blade, jumped off of the dumpster and threw it. Katarina, seeing this action, motioned into a run of her own to see what had happened.

Red blood began to make an oddly perfect circle on the ground. Even though the knife hit the back of the kid's shoulder, he was bleeding immensely. The kid coughed and squirmed on the ground, looking for the strength to push himself back up though it never came. Max's backpack lay slightly ahead of the kid as he had dropped it when he fell to the ground.

Katarina caught up in a matter of seconds and observed the scene. Not only was she shocked about what he had just done, she was shocked that he had incapacitated the kid in the process. The sight was pleasing for her, too. It reminded her of stuff that she had done in the past, and then she would normally follow suit by torturing them before they had died. Tragic, but those are the kills to remember.

She watched as Max slowly walked over to the boy on the ground, Katarina staying a ways back to let him deal with this. Again, she took the time to look at her knife lodged in the boy's shoulder. It was a perfect throw.

"Where did you learn to throw that good?" She pondered, but Max didn't respond. He knelt down next to the boy and observed his face. He was young, no older than eighteen, though nonetheless he was a scoundrel who had messed with the wrong people. He made no attempt to talk. Whether his mouth was filled with blood or he was choking, Max didn't care. Instead, to Katarina's enjoyment and horror at the same time, he would do the same thing she would do. Quietly stare and bask in the terror on his face. After a moment, Max turned his head and looked at the knife. Without thinking about the kid, he simply reached over and pulled the knife out of the kid's shoulder, the teen screeching out in pain again. Katarina laughed audibly at this. It was always funny to see them scream.

Again, his next action silenced Katarina and her smile.

Max pulled the teen's head up by his hair and cut his throat.

Max was… that type of person. It was another action that Katarina couldn't quite comprehend. Though she was a hypocrite for thinking it, the moral in his actions were little to none for someone whom she had thought briefly was a citizen. As the blood from the kid's throat spilled to the concrete, she thought otherwise. A tight grip took ahold of her throat and told her to run, then another voice said to stay. She ignored both thoughts. Instead she stood in total silence as she continued to watch Max. He dropped the head into a puddle of its own blood. Nonchalantly, he stood up, walked over and bent down to retrieve his backpack. He slung it over one shoulder, a portion of it positioned anterior on his body.

He picked his eyes up from the mess he had made and looked at Katarina. The shock in her eyes distinguished itself from anything else she was feeling.

"Surprised?" He asked, stepping up close to her. He wasn't wearing a smile, no. Katarina could tell from his expression that he didn't like what had just happened.

"Bewildered, actually." Katarina corrected and Max chuckled. He began to open up a side pocket on his backpack.

"It comes from years of experience." Max answered her previous question finally. Again, Katarina's eyes lit up. Max pulled out a rag from his backpack. An already bloodied rag. The blood was dry and, she could tell, has been there for a long time. He took the rag and began to clean the blood off of Katarina's dagger.

"I'm a killer, Katarina." Max stated. "Now you know why I was afraid to tell you about my occupation." Katarina didn't respond, all she knew was that she was fully convinced that he was a killer. The brief suspicion that she had back on the cliff was correct, and for some reason now she was baffled at the truth. Now, surprising to Max, she smiled at it.

"I like that." She said. Max finished cleaning the blood. He twisted and squeezed the rag, letting some of the fresh blood drip on the ground, the rest of it absorbing deeper into the rag before putting it back into his bag. "I don't care if you're a murderer. Anyone that kills other people under the name of Noxus is a friend of mine."

"That's good." He said now looking back into her eyes. They both had that imperceptible twinkle in their eyes, letting both of them know that they completely agree with what was happening. He took a step ahead of Katarina. "Then you wouldn't mind coming with me on a journey back. I could really use the company, and I'm sure you would too."

"Where to?" Katarina asked. Max stopped in his tracks and looked back at her.

"My home, at the Institute of War."

She was beginning to like this guy more and more already.


	2. Laughter

1

"I remember crying."

"My parents couldn't smell it but I could smell my own flesh as I sat inside my room crying. My face was wet with sweat and tears as i had been in there for so long. Too long for my sanity to keep me straight. They couldn't hear me but I could hear them. The sound of their yelling plagued my ears. Their voices were muffled by the door, but still were loud. My ears were ringing and they were echoing their words in my head over and over and over again. My bed was becoming stained with my sweat. It was hot in my room. There was no window in my room, and no ventilation. I would open my door, but then they would hear me and then yell at me. Repeatedly. No. Not both of them. Only her."

"Their voices were intoxicating enough so that it wouldn't let me sleep. The constant shrieks I had heard or, or banging against something sent shivers down my spine. I slipped under my covers once, but that didn't help me. I took off my clothes, only leaving myself in my lower underwear, but that didn't help me either. I tried breathing steadily, but I had lost that ability a long time ago. I tried looking for a window, but then I had realized that there are none, and then I had thought if is this what it was like to go insane. I pulled on my hair, feeling pain. But none of that mattered as of now. Actually, some of the pain had felt good. Some of my hair was falling out, but I didn't care. It was a symptom. Maybe each hair represented something good, and they all fell out and died."

"They had always said the word "bond" a lot. Or "care". Or "things will always turn out right in the end". Why do I have no care for any of them anymore? Especially her."

"Why the FUCK would I do that!?" She yelled. The same curse words were cursing me, and I now know why they call them curse words."

"Because you are a crazy bitch, god dammit!" He yelled out, retorting against her. I heard glass clank against a surface. Probably the countertop. "If you would quit badmouthing me in public, then maybe we wouldn't have this problem! But look who slipped a cap off AGAIN and is fucking talking!"

"I've never done anything the likes of that!" She shrieked for the countless time that night. She was trying to get away with it again. I would know. She seems to talk about it a lot when daddy wasn't home."

"Oh really now?" He said. I heard stomps. He alone could recreate his whole army while marching. "Is that why, after every time I asked you, you would KEEP. FUCKING. LYING about everything this family stands for!"

"I've done everything for this family!" She said, and her voice broke down crying. I heard small little skitters of steps, followed by stomping directly behind them. Meanwhile, my condition wasn't getting any better."

"You. Are a disgrace to this family!"

"I AM THE MOTHER OF THIS FAMILY!" She cried out, and I shuddered when I heard glass breaking against a door. My door. The glass shattered, falling right in front of my door. It was a glass bottle. Little was left of the brown liquid that was inside of it would stain the carpet."

"Your mothering won't influence our daughters any good!" He yelled back.

"My daughters! My. Daughters!" She strained out, and I could tell from her voice that she was not hurt at all. She would talk like this a lot. She would always talk like she wasn't herself. "They are my daughters! Not yours!" She yelled out again. Motion began again and, for the first time in a while, all talking ceased. Two pairs of stomps were loud from the other side of the door."

"I jumped when I heard a door creak. It wasn't mine."

"Wake up. We're leaving." Her muffled voice said commandingly. Just briefly did I hear something else. More sniffling. So I wasn't the only one to be crying in this situation. I also heard a small yelp noise, and the steps began again. They got progressively louder, and then before it happened I realized my sister had suffered the same fate I had. She opened my door and she toppled over me, her blonde hair ruffled like she had just woken up. Next to her was my sister, and my mother was clenching her wrist tightly."

"Put some clothes on Katarina. We're leaving." My mother commanded.

* * *

2

"My wrists burned shortly afterwards. Mother had just dragged Cass and I around the house while gathering anything she desired, despite our agonizing and painful moans. She carried a large, brown colored satchel with her on her shoulder, stuffing everything inside of it. Some of the things I couldn't understand why she was packing, such as books and jewelry, as they seemed like such petty items to be carrying around at this time, but I didn't bother with them. My senses gathered when she pulled me and Cass upstairs, into her room. From there, she told us to stay by the door and watch if dad were to come by. We did as we were told, but I couldn't stop daddy from coming if he were to, so I kept watching her. A shiver was sent down my spine when I swear I saw her pull out a blade and cautiously put it into her satchel. From there, she grabbed both my sister and I again and took us back downstairs."

"All of the meanwhile, my father was seething. He had been pacing back and forth inside of the kitchen since they had stopped bickering, though he would still shout out occasional insults and threats of which my mother couldn't help but retort in her state, her loud voice ringing my ears yet again. Neither did my sister's crying leave any time soon either, and I, even in this distressed state of my own, couldn't help but feel bad for her. She was the sweetest girl any parent could ask for (though I can't say the same for myself) and to have her go though this was unfathomable. There she was, sitting in her small, red shirt and yellow skirt wet with tears. She couldn't help it. I know it, she was younger than me. She was sensitive. This was sensible."

"I wanted to say something, but i just couldn't. I didn't have the power, nor did I have the voice. Nor would I say something without being hurt, either by my mother's backhand or by my dad's command. Or would I have to smell her wretched and foul sense again, which she would come home mostly every night with and I was forced to smell again if she talked to me. I could feel us getting closer and closer to the door, and my stomach felt like it was about to let loose. My father finally left his task of pacing and resumed to following close behind my mother, spouting off reasons upon reasons as to why she was horrid to us, and to most of them I agreed. I couldn't help but agree, and I hoped that it would get me to forget. It didn't."

"Mother led us out of the door, me being the last to leave. I looked behind myself, trying to find my father. I found him, much closer than expected. His boot steps were loud and firm, I'm guessing mother chose to ignore them. He reached out and grabbed my hand, stopping me from continuing any further, though mother didn't stop until she realized that daddy stopped me, stretching me out as I let out a small whimper of pain. I looked up at both of them and their eyes locked on each other. You could see the difference. My mother's were foggy, like she was looking for a purpose. My dad's weren't like he found a purpose."

"You're not taking my daughters away from me." He said in a collective tone among the cold night. Others were sleeping around us; it was surprisingly thoughtful of him."

"They are not your daughters, they are mine!" She yelled out the last word with the force to move a mountain, though obviously swayed through her intoxication. Hell, even Cass and I could smell it on her. In her breath smelt like rancid cherries and her sweat was literally alcohol. I looked at him, pleading in my expression, though it wasn't noticed. His face was in pain, for some reason he seemed powerless in the face of the women that had wronged him too many times.

"I heard a small whimper and I looked over at my side. It was Cass again, looking on the verge of collapsing in front of us."

"Cass…" I said and moved over to her, despite my mother's restraining. I grabbed her hand and rolled it out of the ball it was in. I grabbed her hand gently, noticing the indents in her palm where her nails were digging into. I wrapped my other arm around her and pulled her closer to me. She shivered against me, and it incited me to. I shook with her, and whatever tears inside of me that were being stored were released. Soon I was crying against her, and she was crying against me. Soon I was standing up straight, and she was still leaning on me. Soon, nothing changed but the tone in which my parents were speaking."

"Stop…" I muttered quietly, feeling a tear fall off of my chin. I didn't expect my parents to do anything, but they heard me. Their gaze immediately fell upon me. I froze. They listened to me. I… I didn't know what to do from here. My sister was crying heavily upon me and… I did it for her."

"Stop it…" I repeated. I opened my mouth once more, but nothing came out. I wanted to scream. I wanted to scream my heart out of my chest, and have my voice echo all throughout Noxus in effort for everyone to hear me. But I couldn't. Not here. Not now. My mouth closed, and I gritted my teeth. I feel like I could feel what my dad is feeling. Those hairs that fell had a meaning. I could rip all of my hair out if I had the chance. At the same time, I wish I could ball up into a corner and die. I didn't want to be here anymore."

"It… it was ravaging! My mother's nails dug into my skin as I pried her grip off of my wrist, only so I could reach up and pull at my own hair again. I could puke. I could scream. I could hit something so hard, where a broken bone won't satisfy my hurt. I shut my eyes and I envisioned all of those things happening inside of my head. It _satisfied_ me to think like this! It made me groan in pleasure just thinking about it, and right there in front of my parents. It convinced them that I was going insane. And it was all their fault."

"We're leaving now, and never coming back!" My mother hissed at my father. She grabbed my wrist again, this time I didn't hesitate, and started dragging me along. Down the neighborhood we went, my home being ripped away from me slow and steadily. My soul tearing through itself, my chest burning in anger. I wanted… something! What did I want?"

* * *

3

"The air was fresh and crisp, just enough to dry any tears that I produced within a minute they were released. I felt the tall grass brush against my ankles as my mother led us through the grass field directly outside of Noxus. In the daylight it was beautiful, and so was it at night. The prairie extended to a forest just beyond, but not without a series of vast hills standing in between. My legs became sore walking up them at this time. I have been awake for about twenty hours at this point without any sleep, and it was beginning to take its toll on me. My mind has been swirling, but my body was limp. My voice still wasn't present. My sanity was barely staying in tact."

"We're almost there, children." My mother said to us. She turned to me. "Everything will be alright soon, I promise." She told me, and I can prove that her breath smelled that of alcohol. She turned to my sister and said the same thing."

"Mommy, why are we leaving daddy?" Cass asked."

"Because your dad is a marauder asshole." She blatantly said, not acknowledging any regard to our age at the time. The word sent shivers down my spine. "All he can think about is himself, and always gets caught up in his own arrogance. See, maybe if he could focus on me for a change, then maybe we wouldn't be having this problem. But that isn't going to be happening." She said. My dad's self-indulgence was for the best purpose and served Noxus most accordingly. She couldn't and would never understand his reasoning, but I could never understand her reasoning. My dad was right for not wanting to deal with a crazy drunk."

"We kept continuing throughout the grass fields for a while until my mother abruptly stopped us. I looked up at her, and she was staring at something in front of her. Suddenly, her hand left my wrist, and my wrist felt air once again. Once again, my body urged me to do something. My legs desperately tried to pull itself to run, but couldn't. My mind told me to stay. I trusted my head always. It always leads me to a good purpose. She rose her arm up and pointed right in front of her."

"We're here." She said, pointing her bony finger to it. I looked over. It was a cave. I could see the pitch black hole in the center, and if it wasn't some sort of magic, then it was certainly a cave."

"We're not going in there, are we?" Cass asked, frightened by the thought. My mother grinned.

"Yes, hon. That is where we will be staying." Mother said.

"But it's dark and scary, though." Cass said. Wrong word choice. My mother glanced a deathly look at her.

"Stop being such a coward!" She said, her words piercing both pairs of small ears. "We will be living there for the time being, no questions asked. Are we clear?" She leaned down close to Cass, being face to face with her. Cass cringed under our mother's cruel gaze. She submitted, giving the weakest nod ever. Then she looked at me. My body told me to cringe, but my mind stood strong. She stared into my eyes, and I stared back. I nodded, but didn't submit. My body tensed at the thought, and as I looked into her eyes I feel like I knew what I wanted."

"She led us into the cave shortly after. It was dark and scary, just as Cass had described it. Luckily, mother opened her satchel and lit a match. It illuminated the cave just a small bit, but the cave was also smaller than expected. I walked twenty steps into the cave before I hit the back end, jagged with rocks sticking out. The cave was a spectacle to Cass and I, but my mother had no reaction, thus knowing that it was here in the first place. She had been here before. She tossed her satchel up against the rock wall, it breaking open and items spilling out afterwards. Mother cursed herself for being careless. Then she turned to me."

"Hold this, I'll be right back." She said, handing me the match. I accepted the match, and held it up high as she stepped out of the cave.

"Ambient noises filled the room from which I was half sure were just my imagination. Our footsteps echoed off of the thin walls. By now, walking into one of the jagged edges in the wall was a possibility. Then I saw Cass again. She was sitting atop a flat rock, curled up into a ball, hugging her knees close to her face, sobbing away. I stood there staring at her, knowing there was no way that I could help her. I felt bad for her and myself, and for once I feel as if I could blame myself for her demise. I, as the big sister, should've stepped up earlier. I… I wish I could've been the big sister she would've always wanted. She looked up after a while and saw me looking at her. She didn't stop crying."

"What do we do now, Kat?" She asked in her crying voice, which broke my heart. Her eyes were bloodshot like mine. Her attire was getting stained on all of the dirt scattered in the cave and the grass that whipped against her skirt. "What do we do..?" She sounded hopeless, and I was on the verge of crying again; I was doing all I could to restrain this lump in my throat from bursting. I couldn't answer her question. Instead I took a deep breath and let out a deep sigh for my own benefit. I held the match in my hand. Moving it around, my sight landing on the newly illuminated satchel, lain out on the floor with items spilled everywhere. Curious, I moved towards it."

"I sat on a flat rock right next to the satchel. I pulled it up and searched the items inside. There was nothing really special. My mother's valuables were normally particular interests that I could relate to, in which I commended her for. In the satchel was a simple, circular golden locket. I took it by the chain, then pressed it in my palm. Pressing a small latch on the side, the locket opened up. I looked inside. There was a picture of my mom and my dad on their wedding day. They looked so happy that day. There was a carving engraved underneath the picture. "_May the two Du Couteau live in happy matrimony."_ Was what it said. I laughed at it."

"I set the locket aside and continued my search. There was nothing left in the satchel, so I set that aside as well. It was hard to spot everything that fell in between the rocks, but I could still make things out. I held the match close to the ground and let my hands glide over the rocks, the chunky and grinding feeling going under and in between my fingers. My hand eventually hit something, of which I had to recoil, as whatever I hit was sharp. I moved the match to the left, and a small glint almost blinded me. Recovering myself, I saw the glint came from a piece of metal. An intricate piece of metal. It was sharp, very sharp. My line of sight ended, but the metal kept going. I traced carefully with my hand around the piece of metal, and only some inches later did I finally realize that it was a dagger. The dagger. The one I saw my mother pack earlier. My eyes went wide at the realization. Tracing it further, I found its handle and lifted it up. Surprisingly, it fit my hand perfectly but surprisingly, it was heavy for how small it was. I flipped it in my hand. The curves were perfect, one such curve would easily fit someone's neck. The tip of the blade would puncture and kill instantly. With the proper muscle, it would be very fluent in the hands of the right wielder and very deadly. How I knew these things I didn't know. Probably instinct."

"I took a quick look down at my hand. The finger I hand stabbed was now bleeding. It… didn't scare me. I don't know what about it made me not afraid of it, especially since my father had told me a while ago that it was natural for someone as young as me to fear blood. I just looked at the red liquid indifferently. I felt my finger throbbing in the pain, but the pain quickly subsided as I didn't focus on it."

"Another thing caught my focus. Setting the dagger down on my lap, I raised the match up a little bit higher. The light revealed to me a new object. A book. A book that I had recognized my dad writing in from time to time. I quickly leant forward and snatched it in my hand, lifting it up and setting it on my lap atop the dagger. The cover, written in quill and ink, read "_How to Kill - by ~~~~ Du Couteau"_. His first name was blurred out for some reason, only his last name identified the book. Curious, I opened the book. The subject was never explained thoroughly to me, my parent always saying that it is a complicated matter and should be withheld until I was older. No one was here now, and I was curious. The first page read:"

"_This book is NOT for the light hearted. Every tip and tactic in this book will help for you to become a successful killer. Here, in Noxus, we are all born into an endless reign of killing, and it is important for everyone to learn how to kill, whether you like to or not. Men, women, and children should learn to know what killing is, adopt it into a protective system, and when to know to kill. Why should you kill? To protect yourself from harm, or to murder a target, all of that is explained here. Again, this book is NOT for the light hearted."_

"What are you looking at?" The voice startled me, but when I turned and saw Cassiopeia standing in front of me, I calmed myself."

"A book I found from mother's satchel." I replied, and turned back to the book. I closed the book and read the cover again. "_How to Kill"_. Cass sat down herself and read the cover. A twisted look fell upon her face.

"Dad told us to not read any books like this."

"Well… dad isn't here right now, is he?" I replied back, and Cass didn't answer, knowing that I was right. I opened the book back up and flipped through the pages. Every chapter held a title describing a new form or responsibility or type of killing. I flipped through until I saw a chapter that, in particular, caught my eye. The chapter was entitled "_Daggers"_. The first page read:

"_A dagger is one of the smallest blades in one's arsenal, it's blade length normally measuring seven to twelve inches in length. The dagger is proficient in thrusting and stabbing an opponent by making proper use of the length of the blade. Due to the short length of the blade and its easy conciliation and soft sounds, the blade is the most common during __assassinations__. A formidable dagger user is one with the element of surprise, not only having the skill to wield and combat with the blade, but also carefully sneaking the blade into enemy territory and stealthily killing enemies from the inside."_

"By now I had removed the dagger from underneath the book, letting my lap hold the book and taking the dagger in two hands while I was reading. Cass flinched at the blade."

"W-What is that?" She asked, horrified."

"A dagger." I replied nonchalantly. "It fell out of mother's satchel."

"B-But why would she have one with her? What was she going to do with it?" Cass asked. I did not respond, as there are very little things you could do with a dagger, and one purpose was much more common than the others. I continued to read, and as I did so, the more and more I delved into the book. It was also the more and more Cass began to worry for me."

"Kat…" Cass began. "You… you're not going to kill… with that. Right?" She asked. I didn't respond."

"A loud bang startled both Cass and I and I knew that my mother had returned. Cass readied herself to attention, but I was too delved into the book, a book that my mother probably didn't want me to read, that I couldn't lift my eyes. Thus was it for better or worse, I didn't know at the time. I heard her footsteps walk in, then stop, her eyes probably observing me."

"Katarina, come here real quick." She commanded, and I rejected. I didn't turn to face her. I didn't acknowledge her. My eyes were quickly trained onto the book. I flipped another page, and my mother began to get impatient.

"Katarina!" She yelled this time, but I just ignored it. I took mental notes on everything the book was describing. I never knew, until now, that the unique curvature of a dagger makes it a lot more elegant to slice someone's neck with… At this point, I felt my head twitch. With everything that has happened already, and now this, was too much for me. My head was stuffed with information. My mother noted my ignorance of her. I caught on to her footsteps walking towards me a bit late."

"Katarina I swear if I have to say your name one more time, we are going to have some real problems!" She threatened me. The footsteps became louder and louder as they got closer to me.

I finally stood up and faced her when I felt her footsteps right behind me, as if they were about to trample me. She was right in front of me, and she stopped abruptly to not topple me over. She stared at me with her cold, lifeless eyes, and I stared back the same way I stared at her in the grassy field. It was almost all the same.

"Except this time I was holding a dagger through her stomach."

"I felt my own mother's blood trickle onto my hand as the blade was fully in her stomach. She didn't have a reaction, as she didn't have time for one. Her blood was warm, and even with the overabundance of red liquid that was now spilling onto the floor, I wasn't scared of it. In fact, I embraced the blood that was spilling onto the floor. I.. kind of felt relief. Knowing that the life was being sucked out of her rapidly was somewhat enjoyable. I didn't know what to think of it at the time. It didn't seemed messed up to me. It felt natural. I completely ignored my sister's loud gasp and small shriek as I did stab her, and I heard her back press hard up against the wall behind her. All that mattered was my mother's death."

"She coughed out blood onto me, now the red liquid was on my face. I didn't blink as it hit me right on the forehead. I didn't flinch when it trickled down my face. I captivated myself into the moment. She fell down onto her knees, and I backed up respectively to give her some room. I pulled the dagger out from her and she laid lifeless on the floor in front of me. I wanted to grin, and for the first time that day I had done something that I wanted to. Kill and smile. I realized that I wanted to kill her. I had discovered killing."

"Just as my thoughts began wandering towards Cass, another pair of footsteps came barging into the cave. Quickly, the cave was illuminated by the much more powerful light of a torch rather than the match. I looked up and it was my dad. There he was, holding a sword in one hand and the torch in another, wearing a light set of battle armor and a completely fucked up and baffled expression. I smiled at him."

"I killed mother for us, daddy." I said. "Are you proud of me?"


	3. Incentive

_Later that week._

"So… that's it then. That's what happened." He said, observing her face. He could tell from her face that it was horrifying to her now what had happened, and telling the story did very little to help. Little droplets of sweat formed on her face. Her eyes were wide as she told the ending of the story, mouth grimacing at the fact of it, but more grimacing of her voice reliving the moment in words.

"Yeah… that's what happened that day." She said, squeezing her hand tightly on the cold stone bench that they were sitting on. Her knees pointed forward towards the setting sun and over the Institute of War's walls, and she felt the tickle of the grass brush up on her leg, just above her boot. One half of her face was illuminated in orange light from the setting sun, the other half was dark and cast a shadow onto the stone walkway behind them.

"And… this is the first time you have told anyone about this day?" He questioned. His body was hunched over like hers, except his hands were conjoined in his lap. He could barely feel the grass caress his legs through his black jeans. His brushed back hair was blown in the slight breeze, along with his blue shirt, but he never got cold. His glasses slid down the bridge of his nose slightly, revealing the stony, slim eyes that were trained on her. She looked back at him, into his eyes, the scar that traced her left eye now embraced in the shadow.

"Yes." She replied coldly, and with it came another shiver down her spine, this time just from the breeze touching the exposed skin on her stomach, arms, and legs. Her breathing was slow as she kept trying to support her inner self. She had told herself multiple times to not feel this emotion ever again because it would cause her turmoil and affect her performance, but, after telling it, this emotion was breaking through. She couldn't tell if it was a bad thing.

The looming sunset cast over the Institute of War marked the beginning of night for all who resided there. As the sun got lower and lower, more and more people began embarking back home, but as they did they couldn't help but glance at the odd duo, sitting on a stone bench on an external path halfway up the grand hill in which the main Institute was located on. The hill directly in front of them was blocked by the large and overgrown brush that outlined the path, but not so big to see the walls of the community and over them the forest beyond. The sun was just barely showing itself over the wall and, at any moment, would disappear, leaving the entire institute in darkness except for the street lights and house lights scattered about.

Their position wasn't bound by secrecy, though no one normally walked this path as it lead virtually nowhere. Max's quick thinking lead them just here from the original path they were walking earlier. When the subject was brought about quite suddenly, he knew that he wasn't allowed into the house of Noxus and his home was too inconveniently far away from here. The scenic overview was a nice touch, but still didn't stop the heartfelt feelings that were allowed to show now. Max's mind was scattered for the woman in front of him, him now knowing her on a much different level than everyone else, though he wasn't sure if he liked it.

Katarina, the blood-bound assassin that was the face of Noxus, was not just the showgirl she was portrayed to be. The story of her first kill was relentless, but refreshing. She could remember and envision the night perfectly. She remembered the ravaging hatred she had for her mother for defying her father in the name of Noxus. That night that she spilled blood for the first time was a new birth to her. She gained things she never thought she would be able to have: a voice, the will to act on urge, the killer instinct. The career of slaying her foes. The ability to repress all other emotions but the one that drove her to kill. Pride.

The true story that Max had just heard Katarina speak for the first time was not for the lighthearted, and that was why she had chosen to tell Max this information. From someone she thought she could call stranger only a few days ago had grown close to her. In almost a week, she would have been through a sequence of life changing events that would affect her very being, all because of him. She could see what it was in the young man, even younger than her, that maddened her, but also relieved her. They had similarities that were almost identical, motives completely opposite, and a passion that they both shared. She remembered the blood curling smile she gave him yesterday when she had realized this. It wasn't present here.

"You killed Katarina. That day you killed and it set about you a whole new life that has now driven you here to the Institute of War." Max said firmly. "Are you proud of that?" He asked. Proud. Of course she was proud of every kill… but the kill that day didn't have to be. Her mother never had to die. Katarina chose her to die. And that was the way destiny set course.

"Yes." She said, though her voice didn't show certainty. Her next words faltered and didn't form themselves, then she retracted her head, cringing her neck down and showing embarrassment in front of the onlooker.

"Don't be torn." Max said. He removed his two hands from each other and placed them on the bench like Katarina has. He tapped the bench with his index finger rhythmically, pondering what to say next. "You took the path that you desired, Katarina. It… it was a good choice by you." He said, then hung his head low, both figures staring at the ground in front of them.

"When was the last time you have killed someone off of the Rift?" Max blatantly asked, surprising Katarina. They both looked at each other again, both of them becoming more and more accustomed to their sporadic movements.

"A month ago." Katarina replied quietly. She hasn't been ordered on a mission from Noxus in quite a while since the League had recommended to keep killing off of the Rift to a minimal, especially that of other factions, as the League didn't want to be involved in any city-state wars between two opposing sides. Katarina thought bullshit of it all, but sadly had to abide by them, and so did the general of Noxus.

"When was the last time you have killed someone of whom you've cared for?" Max asked afterwards, catching Katarina off guard again and giving Max a glance. His eyes weren't swayed though. She was surprised from the moment she has met him. He's one of the few who weren't affected by her death stare.

"A… a month ago." She told, dropping her shoulders low.

"What was their name?" Max asked. Katarina, tired, gave in immediately.

"Brice." Katarina answered. She looked at Max. It seemed he expected more. "She was a childhood friend of mine, even before my mother's incident. She was always an oddball, but the kind that made me laugh. She enlightened other people around her, and I thanked her for that." She took a deep breath, as if remembering the kill in her head. "My dad ordered me to kill her, stating that she had been conspiring against Noxus in an act of defiance. I arrived at her doorstep. She was delighted to see me. She invited me into her house. I killed her as soon as she closed the door." Katarina said. Her face was stoic, but wasn't. Inside herself she felt more regret the more she told of her past. The flash of her best friend's face imaged in her head. The grief…

"What about you?" She countered. She needed to wipe herself of these memories flooding her head. "When was the last time you killed whom you've cared for?" Katarina asked in monotone. Max poised himself upright and his shoulders tensed as they stretched themselves backwards. He let out a groan from the stretch, but also to mask his own disdain at his own question.

"The last time I've killed someone that I cared for…" He said with a sigh, leaning back down a slight bit. "... I don't remember. There are, no were, so many people, now I…" He said. His voice trailed off though, and Katarina could also understand what he was feeling. Instead of pressuring the question, she decided to wait. He averted her eyes for now, looking down on the grass brushing against his leg. A moment later, he looked back up.

"My brother…" Max finally said. "I killed my brother at Port Swae in Demacia… two months and seventeen days ago."

"That's oddly specific to remember it like that." Katarina commented.

"Yeah well it takes a moment to remember. If you kill someone you grow up with, you should remember all of the details." He said, his tone obviously swayed by her comment. She realized and hung her head lower, hurting. "I'm sorry…"

"Don't be…" She said. She paused. "Continue." Her voice didn't waver as she raised her head again and looked into his eyes. Max nodded.

"I was lingering about in Piltover, taking what should've only been a week break from summoning to rest and enjoy the rest of Valoran when I heard word outside of a bar that someone had been snatching undeserved profits from the whaler imports in Ionia, Piltover, and Demacia. After some research I uncovered a third party distributor that was partnered with the League in imports across Valoran: Apex Lot Industries; Commercial Inlet Associations, also known as A.L.I.C.I.A for short. Their manager, Thomas "The Cross" Feeds, was located in Demacia at the time. I figured if I caught the culprit, I could make a staggering amount of money from the League. I set out for Demacia, and within four days I made it there via caravan. Port Swae was loaded with ships at the time, though it didn't take me long to find Draciau, their whaling boat. I arrived at the extremely convenient time that a meeting was taking place, a meeting between Thomas and my brother." The story stopped there as Max had to regain his breath. Katarina only listened to all of it.

"So then what?" She asked shortly after. Max pushed his glasses back upright.

"I killed them." He said. "I went up there, stabbed my brother through the back when he wasn't looking, and left the other no remorse as he tried to outrun my blade." Max finished laxly, like it wasn't a big deal. He exhaled another deep sigh at the end of it all and leant his hands back onto the bench. A long gap of silence formed between the two, not really knowing where to go after this… conversation that they had. They both hung their heads down awkwardly and stared at the ground. Katarina had begun kicking at the ground beneath her. Max periodically shook his head, like he was going to say something but decided against it.

"You know…" Katarina began, and Max looked over again. She was still looking at the ground. "In the end, it's all about the kill." She claimed. Max blinked at the assassin's statement. The words repeated themselves in his head, and as it went on it began to make sense.

"I guess you're right." Max said in an indifferent ruse. Katarina looked up and saw through his nonchalant behavior. She smirked. It was the first time she had cracked a smile in the past hour.

"You're a whole load of crap, you know?" She whipped her voice on the end. Max looked at her, first surprised at her remark, then smiled at her smile. Katarina turned her head away. "You can't just walk into my life and…" Her voice trailed off, leaving Max wondering.

"And what?" He asked. Kat tensed another muscle and it showed through that she was trying to now shun him away. Max just smiled at it though.

"You're indifference towards me is comical." He said, and gained Katarina's attention as she turned her head, curious of his statement. "At first you held a knife up to me and was unwilling to talk to me, and now you have opened up… I guess I'm just surprised. I didn't expect myself to end up here, and you have probably thought the same. I never intended to be your friend, and now we are. I was just… alone that day. The day I was walking about." He said. Katarina crossed her arms.

"Hmph. Until you stole my dagger." She said, and Max laughed aloud.

"Hey I gave it back, and you even commended me afterwards!" He said playfully. Though Katarina still didn't show any sign of breaking. Nope. Her eyes were closed towards the sun. She didn't get to see the sun completely disappear behind the horizon but she could feel it. Max saw though, and thus a cold breeze blew by as the sky became completely dark. He could now see stars in the sky. It was beautiful.

"I can define a kill… as a way of setting my world into a better state of peace." Max said. "The kill isn't just random, the kill is always for a purpose for my or someone else's well being. The kill is always respected, and the victim is always given respect for being the victim. The kill is claimed by me and me only." He ranted on, not really knowing what else to talk about. His mind blurred with a few other things, but cut out shortly. Katarina's eyes were still closed and her arms will still crossed by her chest.

"Would you kill me?" Katarina asked bluntly. Max looked over, becoming shocked by the question. She was being serious when asking it.

"No." Max answered shortly after.

"Do you think you can kill me?" She asked instantly afterwards. Max became baffled.

"Katarina, I-I -"

"Answer the question!" She said fiercely, opening her eyes and glaring at him. It was a lie to say that she was not intimidating. "Do you think you can kill me?" She said, her voice raising.

"No!" Max yelled out in slight protest to her sudden raise in tone, and yet Max had no clue why she was getting like this. His face suddenly flushed with fear. The color on his face drained looking at her.

"If you wouldn't kill me, then would you fight me?" She asked in this raised tone of hers.

"Wha - No!" Max said, his own voice escalating rapidly. Kat turned and faced him, unlocking her arms.

"If I fought you, then would you fight back!?" She asserted the question, pushing herself up off of the bench and now standing. Max stood up as well, again dumbfounded by her question.

"Kat! Wha - Why! -" Max stuttered on his own words, but before he could answer, Katarina grabbed a quick and tight hold of his neck with her right hand and lifted him slightly off of the ground. Max struggled in the choke, only tightening Katarina's grasp.

"_She can't kill me here, not inside of the Institute!"_ He began his thought. Though, with now a slightly blurry view, she could see the look in Katarina's eyes. The look of want.

"Would you fight back!?"

"Yes!" Max blurted out, not realizing his own answer until her look changed. It went from want to an inquisitive look. Curious. But then back to the wanting look.

The choke on his neck became increasingly stronger, and he couldn't quite stand it anymore or else she would suffocate him to death. He began reaching up to her wrist with his hands, but didn't quite reach in time. Instead she threw him with the push force of one arm, and it was enough for him to land on his feet, stumble, and then fall backwards into a bush sloped slightly downwards on the hill. The back of his head hit the ground hard and the world started spinning around him. He lifted his head up and made out the, now multiple, Katarinas walking towards him, eventually combining into one. He set his hands aside himself and tried to push up, but only stumbled again and landed flat on his back.

He heard a thump, and then another thump as something hit the ground besides him twice. He rubbed the back of his head, somewhat helping his dizziness, and looked up through his now dirty glasses. Through it he could see her directly over him. But it was different. She seemed much closer than before. Initially Max thought that his glasses had broken, but that wasn't the case. He tried rolling to the side, but was blocked by something. Her leg blocked one side. He tried rolling to the other side, and her other leg was blocking the other side as well. She straddled him, and Max had now just realized she was practically sitting on his stomach. She lunged out with her hand and grabbed Max's neck again, Max reacting with a small

_[gah]_

sound. Though this time her hand didn't tighten much at all. It wasn't nearly a stranglehold, but certainly a firm hold to keep him down. Max gave in and laid himself flat out, looking at the girl above him. She still had that look of want.

"Shutup." Katarina inconceivably said even though Max didn't say anything. It was though as she was flustered, but she wasn't. The hand pulsated tenseness around his neck. She could kill him right now, she totally could. But she didn't.

What she did was opposite of kill. If Max wasn't dizzy enough, certainly his head was spinning now as she bent down and captured Max's lips in a deep kiss. She pressed her lips firmly and far into his while holding his neck down so that Max couldn't press back anymore than she could. His eyes shot right open, at first resisting the action, then quickly embracing it as the pleasurable sensations of the kiss filled both of them. Max felt Katarina's tongue trace his teeth and caress his own tongue and Max opened up, allowing Katarina to explore his mouth. His body shivered with euphoria, and Katarina finally got what she wanted. Though, to be completely honest, both of them were still confused by what was happening.

Katarina disengaged the kiss, retracting herself slowly and slowly opening her eyes up to meet his, both of them inhaling for air. At the same time, she removed her hand from around Max's neck. She smirked.

"This is the part where you fight back." Kat said, lust in her eyes, and the metaphor struck clearly into both of them. Knowing what she meant, and deeply approving of its meaning, he nodded. Katarina bent back down and kissed him again, this time both of them being able to move freely to anywhere on themselves. The bushes rustled constantly and loudly through the night.

* * *

**I'm so sorry for that reference Max, but I'm really not sorry XD.**


End file.
